The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-14
GETTYSBURG.
AN EX.CONFEDERATE GENT:
AIS GRAPHIC STORY.
How His Virginia Mountainecrs
Conducted the Confederate
Wounded and the Wagon
Train after the Battle.

the corridor of the Continental Hotel and
talked with a smaller man, with pair
of thin whiskcrs and suit of ycllowish
Scotch cloth, says the Philadelphia
Press. The large mans features were
rugged and weather beaten. lie had a
large aquiline nose, heavy, brown NOUS
tache and shaggy eyebrows and soft
felt hat, corresponding in shape to that
worn by the Southern officers during the
war, surmountcd his full, ruddy face. 1t
was Gen. Imboden, formerly of the Con-
federate Army, and be was telling how
in 'G3, with scarcely more than 1000
cavalry, he conducted 1000 wounded
men and the Confederate Army train
from Gettysburg in safety back to Mary
land.
= "Late on the night of the Sd, "he said,
II got my orders from General Lee. 1t
was sad interview; he brought me a
message from a near friend, General
Kemper, whom he had left wounded on
the battlefield. At (hambcrsburS, not
long before, kcnper, Pickett and l had
spent the night in Pickett's tent, and as
we lay side by side Kemper prophesicd
that he would die in battle. The mes
sage was to remind me of that prophecy
and to say it had fallen true. I never
saw Lee so overcome as he was that
night. He was man Of wonderful
equanimity and rarely lost his calmncsS.
At (hanccllorsyille once, when our side
had lost ground, he became excited and
wanted to lead Wilcox's division into
h. Hho rnf,,cnl 70 chorfra
until he retired to the rear. But when
he spoke to me, in the depth of that
night, of Picke;t's grand charge every
muscle in his body quivered. General
Lee told me he was about to entrust the
wagon train and all his wounded to me.
He would send me additional artillery, but
could spare no more men. He ordered
me emphat:cally to keep the column 60
ing at all hazards, aud warned me that l
about 2100 men all mounted, command
I had raised myself around my home in
the mountains of Virginia. All were
hardy mountaineers. There were about
$500 wagons, 10000 horses and 1000
wounded men. I'stationed companies
of my cavalry about every quarter mile
throughout the train, every fourth body
being moro numerous and carrying ar
tillery.
"in the van, where expected to meet
most opposition, l placed my brother,
Colonel Imboden, with quite a large
force of the 18th Virginia Cavalry. I
fully realized that to lose the supply
wagons meant ruin to the army, and
fearing to leave even the details OF
arrangements to my staff stayed in Get
tysburg until the whole train was in mo-
tion to see that my orders were exactly
carried out. The column extended sew
enteen miles. At clock on the after
noon of July 4, in a dreuching rain, 1
started with my staff, about six in NAM
Der, to gallop to the head of the tain.
have served in plenty of battles, but
never before had realized the horrors OF
War as did that night. From every
wagon we passed came the cries, shrieks
and means of the wounded. General
Lee had kept all the regular ambulances
for use with the able bodied men in the
contingency of another battle, and not
wagon had springs. Many had not even
straw. In places the road was rocky and
the men were joltcd frightfully every
moment. Some sworc, some prayed in
an agonizing voice fora stop that l could
never order.
$50 narrow was the road that in places
the legs of our horses were bruised by the
wagon wheels. On the other side, as
well as I could judge, were dense woods.
The darkness was so intense that mainly
the instinct of the horses enabled rs to
keep the road. Now the storm would
increase in violence so that we could not
hear each others voices; again the cries
of the wounded would drown them. But
advance we must, and I ordered the men
as passed along to abandon and throw
aside any wagon that became disabled,
so as not to delay the others. My brother
in the van had instructions to charge and
drive forward at all cost any force en-
countered.
"Thc road led up the East face of
South Mountain and over the brow. The
descent on the o!hcr side was extremely
rugged. The rain continued to descend
in torrents until daybreak. The noun
tain streams were rivers which had 10 be
forded. In other places the mud was
knee deep. Among the wounded had
two generals, Scales and Pender. The
former is now Governor of North Caro-
lima. Pendcr was killed a little later
at Winchester. These two were near
the head Of the train. Except them l
had no officers higher than Colonel.
Starting by the Chambersburg road we
presently tlanked it and led off to the
left al,ng eounrJ by-road. About
midnight, while riding with my staff. |
was taken with congcStive chill, brought
on, think, as mmch by the horrors
had undergone as the exposure. My
staff shouted for a doctor and one soon
came up. Fortunately one of the men
stumbled upon farmhous; about that
time, l could not keep my saddle. They
took me into the house and the doctor
injected morphia into my arm. Then I
was put on horseback again and hurried
forward through the darkness and rain
to an ambulance near the front of the
line. In that lay down while the doc
tor kept watch beside me. Iawoke early
in the morning from q kind of stupor to
hear the sound of near firing. jumped
to my feet and looked out. A body of
Northern cavalry were attacking the
train not stones throw off. Some of
the men had stampeded, but my black
servant, steAdy as rock, stood waiting
with my horse by the side of the wagon,
bride in hand. A howitzer company
passed at run, with their gun. 1
vellp1 to them IN ston and made them